Shelf support



A. VANDERVELD ETAL 36,044

March 25, 1941.

SHELF SUPPORT Filed Feb. 12, 1940 Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES EJEhdt i PATENT OFHCE SHELF SUPPORT Grand Rapids, Mich,

Application February 1 7 Claims.

This invention relates to store furniture and, more particularly, to supporting bars or rods which may extend between the ends of a case or cabinet and be adjustable vertically to any one of a large number of positions. Said rod or bar when adjusted to a desired position is provided with means, one at each end thereof, to releasably secure it in place and in such a manner that it cannot be released without slightly '1 l elevating the bar. Such bar construction is of particular utility in one place of use, to support shelves of glass or other material of brittle and transparent or translucent character and to carry the weight of merchandise which is placed upon the shelf. Glass shelves or shelves of other material which permit the passage of light are desirable in store furniture in order that lighting from above, either in the case or cabinet, or which comes into the case or cabinet from the outside, may pass through the shelves at any uncovered places so as to better illuminate such merchandise as may be carried on all shelves.

The rod or bar also may be availed of, for example, as a bar onwhich to hang garment :25 hangers which in turn carry garments which are to be displayed in a case; and the invention is not to be restricted in its use for supporting glass shelves, even though at the present time this may be the particular and specific use to which it is largely devoted.

The invention may be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical section, from front to rear, of a case in which glass shelves are supported on a plurality of bars constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section through the display case looking downwardly upon one of the bars, which at one end is in horizontal section to show the retractible supporting means therefor.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section and partial side elevation at one end of a bar and i i the associated end ofthe display case in which it is mounted.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section through the embedded backing post, a number of which are mounted at each end of the case or cabinet.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one end of the bar made in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the retractible supporting element, one of which is slidably 55 mounted in each end of each bar, and

a corporation of Michigan 2, 1940, Serial No. 318,586

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation at one end of the bar equipped with our invention.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures or the drawing.

The display case or cabinet with which our invention is adapted to be used has spaced vertical ends I, which in the disclosure made are each equipped with three vertically positioned backing posts 2 inserted in vertical slots at the inner sides of the ends I of the display case. Such backing posts preferably are made of thin sheet metal in U-shaped channel form with the sides spaced a short distance apart, and with tongues It struck inwardly from each of the sides at a large number of closely spaced positions, the tongues at one side extending upwardly and inwardly into the space and at the other side downwardly and inwardly therein so that the tongues overlap, as shown in Fig. 4. Such construction of backing post is shown in the previously filed application of Paul G. Williams and Kenneth C. Welch, Serial No. 288,722, filed August 7, 1939.

The bar which we have devised, preferably, is of a hollow rectangular form in cross section, having upper and lower parallel sides 4 and 5 and vertical sides 6. The vertical sides at each end and toward their lower portions, or near the lower side 5, are horizontally slotted as at l for a distance inward from each end. It is of course to be understood that the cross-section of the bar 4 is not necessarily of a rectangular form. With the bar used over which to hook garment hangers for example, at least the upper side 4 instead of being horizontal and fiat, might better be of a curved form, convex at its outer side.

In each end of the hollow bar a movable and retractable supporting member is slidably mounted. Such member in preferred construction consists of two angle bars each having a vertical leg 8 and a horizontal leg 9 at the lower edge of each vertical leg, and at the outer ends of each of the horizontal legs 9 are integral oppositely extending fingers id. Between the vertical legs 8 a flat metal plate H is positioned, the legs 8 and the plate I I being permanently connected by spot-welding or equivalent connection. The plate ll extends beyond the outer ends of the angle bars connected to it, such extension at its under side being cut away to reduce its vertical height and to provide an uwardly extending recess l2, beyond which is a downwardly extending finger l3.

One of these movable and retractable supporting members is mounted in each end of the hollow bar, the fingers l0 being received in the slots 1, and the lower edge of the plate I I riding against the upper side of the under section 5 of said bar. It is evident that the projecting end of the plate ll may be moved inwardly so as to house such plates wholly within the bar; and that they also may be moved outwardly so that the projecting end of the plate II will enter between the sides of a backing strip 2 with which it is associated, and a selected upwardly and inwardly extending tongue 3 of the backing strip enter the recess 12 at the lower side of the outward extension of plate H, with the finger l3 hooked over and back of said tongue, as shown in Fig. 3.

A plurality of the bars may be placed between opposite backing strips in the spaced ends of the display case or cabinet, and when in the proper position the slidable supporting elements moved outwardly to hook over a selected tongue 3. Shelves M, which as said before will, preferably, though not necessarily, be of glass, may then lie upon and against the upper sides 4 of the several bars which are in the same horizontal plane, Between the bottom and top of a display case or cabinet a large number of the shelves may be located and supported in this manner, the position of each shelf being capable of independent selection.

After the slidable supporting members, one in each end of each bar, are assembled in place by inserting the fingers- I 0 in the slots I, the outer end of a slot, or both of them at each end of a bar, is closed or partially closed by striking up a portion of the metal, as at 15, to prevent accidental or other removal of the supporting elements from the bars with which associated.

When a shelf is placed over a number of bars, the inward movement of the slidable supporting element at either end of the bar is insured against by the stop interposed by the finger l3 back of the tongue 3 with which it is associated. In other words, to retract such slidable supporting element it is necessary to lift the bar a sufficient distance that the under edge of the finger l3 will clear its tongue This prevents any undesirable falling of the bars or the shelves which they may support. And the greater the load of merchandise on a shelf, the harder it will be to elevate an end of a bar. Likewise, when the bar serves any other purpose or use, the weight of any merchandise carried on it or supported by it increases the necessary force required to lift an end of the bar to be able to retract the slidable supporting member.

The construction is of a very practical and useful character. The support of shelves, whether of glass or of any other frail or fragile character, is very desirable inasmuch as the weight of merchandise carried by the shelves in many instances may reach approximately two hundred pounds. The shelves are relatively thin, in many cases not exceeding one-quarter of an inch in thickness, and if they are supported at their ends only and on narrow ledges, one at each end, there is danger of the shelf breaking under the weight. The present invention provides a very certain support for the shelves, and the bars at the same time are attractive in appearance and add to the eifectiveness of the store furniture from an appearance standpoint.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

We claim:

1. A shelf support comprising an elongated hollow bar having spaced sides each horizontally slotted inwardly for a distance at each end thereof, and a member slidably mounted at and within each end of the bar, having a narrow fiat projecting outer end portion comprising a plate substantially midway between the sides of said bar, and having oppositely extending fingers attached to said plate received in said slots for slidably guiding said member, combined with means for preventing outward sliding movement of said member to a position such that said fingers pass from said slots.

2. A shelf support comprising a horizontal elongated hollow bar having at each end. opposed horizontal slots in its vertical sides, a member slidably mounted within each end of the bar and adapted to be housed therein at inner positions, each of said members comprising a flat plate positioned vertically between the opposite upper and lower sides of the bar and having oppositely extending horizontal fingers disposed a distance from the outer end of said plate located in said slots, and means for limiting the outward movements of said fingers in said slots, as specified.

3. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 2, each of said plates at its outer end portion having a recess at its lower edge, and a downwardly extending finger beyond said recess at the outer end thereof.

4. A shelf support comprising an elongated hollow horizontal bar having spaced generally vertical sides, each of said sides at each end thereof having a horizontal slot therein extending from each end of the bar inwardly for a distance, a member located within said bar at each end having a centrally disposed fiat vertical plate lying between the vertical sides of said bar, the lower edge of said plate bearing against the lower side of the bar, angle members secured one to each side of the bar, having horizontal fingers extending outwardly in opposite directions through the slots in the sides of and at each end of said bar, said tongues being located a distance from the outer ends of said plates, and each of said plates at its outer portion having an upwardly cut recess in its lower edge, with a downwardly extending finger beyond said reces as specified.

5. In combination, two spaced apart vertical supporting back strips, each having parallel sides spaced a short distance from each other, supporting members extending between and carried by said sides and lying across said space between the sides, said supporting members being vertically spaced from each other, a horizontal bar extending between said vertical back strips, and a member mounted at each end of and within the bar, having a vertically disposed fiat metal section formed at its lower edge to hook over a selected supporting member on a back strip, and means for slidably mounting said members on said bar for outward projection to move the flat sections between the sides of a backing strip, or for inward retraction to completely house said members within the end portions of said bar.

6. A supporting bar adapted to be held in a horizontal position at opposite ends thereof by and between two vertical supporting members comprising, a hollow elongated bar substantially rectangular in cross section having spaced generally vertical sides, each side being horizontally slotted from each end of the bar inwardly for a distance, a member slidably mounted within each end portion or the bar having guide fingers extending in opposite directions therefrom through said slots, and each of said members having an outwardly projecting portion of flat metal located in a vertical plane, the under side of which is upwardly notched to provide a downwardly extending finger beyond said notch, as specified.

7. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 6, and a slotted side at each end of the bar having a projection integral with and strudk therefrom into the outer end portion of the slot in said side to provide a stop against disconnection of the said members from said bar.

ANTHONY VANDERVELD. EARL L. CLOUSE. 

